Ralph Hasenhuttl insists that the pressure on his players from having no points from their first two matches is nowhere near as big as that which they put on themselves.

Defeats to Burnley and Liverpool leave Saints still searching to get off the mark this season heading to the Amex Stadium to take on Brighton this afternoon.

It is an uncomfortable position to be in with Manchester United to come after today’s game, but Hasenhuttl insists his squad are more focussed on what they want to do rather than external pressure.

He said: “I think they are very self-critical, or they should be, and if they are not I tell them they should be more.

“You can never be happy to make a good game against Liverpool but don’t take a point so they are not really.

“They were very frustrated because we had the chance to take against the Champions League winner one point. I think it was possible.

“Finally they knew about the few inches that were missing and it’s about them and us to show they did not only know it but they try to change it. This is the pressure we give ourselves.

“We don’t need pressure from having no points because we put enough pressure on ourselves and that’s what it should be. We don’t need more from outside.

“We are here to win games and that’s what we want to do in the future.”

Hasenhuttl has seen signs of progress but now wants his men to deliver points to back that up.

“Maybe yes but finally you have to take points not only positive things,” he insisted.

“Especially in the last game we had chances to take more than a defeat and finally I think we showed we can compete with such an opponent also.

“We had chances and didn’t score and it would have helped massively if we had taken the lead and scored with a first chance but this is the Premier League.

“This is something we are working on this week and for that reason we must be more clinical in these moments.”